Bret Easton Ellis and Paul Schrader Attempt Collaboration Once More, This Time on Noir Film

You may recall an early August story in which Taxi Driver scribe Paul Schrader and American Psycho author Bret Easton Ellis planned to collaborate on a shark thriller, Bait. We’ve heard and seen hide nor hair about it in the almost six months since, but those who wanted the two to team-up need not worry.

Ellis, as per usual, took to his Twitter account, using it as a tool to discuss one of his several upcoming film projects — this one to be directed by (you guessed already) Paul Schrader. ONTD (via ThePlaylist) directed us to all the spilling on his part; this time around, Ellisis crafting an “LA noir micro budget” film, one which he has an unusual choice in mind to lead: porn star James Deen. I had (honestly) never heard of the guy until this story came up — but, sure enough, he is in that line of work. (Just take my word for it.) Which might make him a good fit for the character — either named Christian or Ryan — who has to “act and be full-frontal naked banging girls and guys realistically.” If the shoe fits. (This whole thing might have emerged from a conversation with his trainer, by the way.)

Though past articles have seen me voice a distaste for Ellis‘ faux nihilism and pose-filled novels, some part of me — for one reason or another — has a strong curiosity about where a career in screenplays could take him; Paul Schrader, meanwhile, is what drives home interest in the project. Now, casting a porn star might be a risky move — it worked in The Girlfriend Experience, though that was a very unique film in and of itself — but, ultimately, if the guy who wrote Raging Bull wants to make another movie, I say we let him. And as someone who loves an L.A.-set noir story like jazz soundtracks and smoke-filled alleyways, my defenses have to go down pretty quick.